What’s it really like to be a
JENNIFER ANN SMITH
Career Coordinator | Texas A&M University
W
Career Coordinator hat is your baCkground?
I was raised on a small cow/calf operation in northeast Texas. We raise predominantly Angus cattle in addition to some crossbreds. I showed multiple breeds of cattle in my junior livestock career, but the Angus breed always had my heart. Would you desCribe for us What you really do.
Network. Network. Network. My job is to assist students in deciding on their future. I do a significant amount of mentoring and advising individual students along their academic career at Texas A&M University. This often means helping them recognize their passions in life. Additionally, I identify industry and job opportunities for agriculture students. I travel throughout the year to increase company awareness of our students and work to develop more internship and post-graduation opportunities for our College of Agriculture and Life Sciences graduates. They truly are the best students! hoW did you get into this line of Work?
When I started my graduate program, I knew I needed to decide on a career path. After making my “what makes me tick” list, I found that people, agriculture, and Texas A&M all rose to the top of that list. From that, I started networking with folks at TAMU to try and find opportunities. I had always enjoyed helping others and often thought being an advisor would be a great job. What made being a career advisor even more appeal-
ing is the opportunity to continue to work with industry professionals. What do you like about your job?
I love helping and encouraging others. I get to meet some really great people and talk to a lot of industry leaders. No matter where I am, I am always networking and interacting with others to promote our students. What are the toughest Challenges for What you do?
Managing my presentation schedule, job development visits, and career fair prep each semester. This often occurs all simultaneously and requires a substantial amount of planning. do you need a College degree in your profession?
Yes, you do need a college degree.
Where should somebody go to get started in your line of Work?
For someone wanting to working in a university, I recommend doing some job shadowing. Find others who are working with students that you can learn from. Watching them interact with students and other professionals. This will help you see what your potential job could be like! What is a typiCal day on the job like for you?
Each day is different. During the peak season (August – October and January – March) I am
in and out of classrooms almost every day. I also spend a large part of my day meeting one – on – one with students about future job plans, interviews, and their résumé/cover letter. I also spend time at various conventions and stock shows working on job development. I’m not sure I’ve ever had two days that are the same in this job. That is part of what makes me love it so much! What Would most surprise a student about your Career?
Not everyone in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences wears cowboy boots and a hat every day. Agriculture is so much more than that. It is such a diverse and technologically advanced industry. So many opportunities for anyone and everyone! anything you Wish someone Would have told you When you Were in sChool?
Well, people told me these two statements, but I never fully appreciated them until I was in the work force. 1) Something worth doing is something worth doing right. 2) Work hard and keep your nose clean. Both of these statements are so true. As a young person, it is easy to fall into unethical situations and be required to make decisions that you may not want to make. I can tell you from experience— ALWAYS do what is right and everything else will take care of itself- including the bottom line.
March 2014 • theshowcircuit.com
65